What once was lost now is found

With a 2 week trip to Atlanta (Just Mom and LB) now behind us, the foursome has been reunited. I know what you are saying- how nice it would be to have 2 weeks of me time. Well not me. The nice wore off after one night of good sleep. Quiet filled the house and I found myself playing peek-a-boo w/ Lux, only she wasn’t reacting like her roommate.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a pocketful of new tricks or developments as the books would say. Starting with finding her singing voice (see video). I find myself judging the pitch changes à la Simon, Paula and Randy (sorry, I can’t acknowledge the new judges- they are awful). Toe touching has become a regular exercise, as is rolling over in both directions.

So the voice and sound monitor is back with full volume- Which means more tender sleep, more false alarms and more stinky diapers. The good life has returned.

Schedule Update

Donald Trump likes doing this in his books, thought I would give it a try. This post is more for my records. I wish I had done this back in November to compare.

7:17am – Saturday morning wake up- LB sounds the alarm. I mean the baby monitor decided to amplify those early morning whimpers.
7:20am- Dave washes hands, brushes teeth, checks on LB. The blackout shades are doing a good job, but the hint of light seems to be our local rooster.
7:21am-Dave frees LB from the grasp of her straight jacket…I mean swaddle. Like an astronaut, LB reaches for the sky!
7:22am- Time to check the sewer. I feel some weight in this diaper. Nice, clear sewage. This damage rates 2 stars (wipes) on the clean-up meter.
7:25am- BOOB TIME! LB’s face lights up like the 4th of Juuuuuuuuly (for you Cheryl). Slurp Slurp, Gulp Gulp.
8:00am – Dance party begins. DJ Dave is spinning records today- We’ve got some Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jay Z on tap.
8:30am- Dance party is over, the puppet show begins. Cue teddy bear “yes Jesus loves me, because the bible tells me so…”
9am- Nap time. No fussin, no fightin…to the swing we go. White noise is cranking. Out in seconds.
10am- Wake up, touch the sky and sewage check #2. Still clear. Even less weight, this is 1 star (wipe) damage. In guy terms- this was an “ace”.
10:30am- Time to climb Mt Boob again. LB is king of the mountain.
11:00am- Entertainment again. This house is part trough, part theater. Mom is acting out some Spanish comedy. Adios!
Noon- Fussy period and a diaper check…We have a stage 5 dump. This was a 4 wiper. Plus an extra back wash due to overflow. We cleaned the deck and put this girl back in the swing. White noise on, LB out.
2pm- Up again -right before feeding. Quick 1 star cleaning and we are on the bottle. Load up about 7oz of the powdered breast milk and we are off.
2:30- Need to work the gas out. This technique isn’t as easy as the books describe. You need a gentle touch, some good rhythm and patience.
3pm- Play time again, working in some channel 293 magic. For those of you w/ direct tv, channel 293 is devoted to the infant. It is Baby Einstein on steroids.
3:30pm- Exercise in the jumperoo! If she doesn’t become a linguist, she’ll be a gymnast.
4pm- Back to bed. If only we were all this lucky.
5pm- From Bed to Boob.
6pm- Begin fussy time. No puppet, movie, comedy can save us. We are at LB’s mercy.
8pm- Final feeding and bed time. Once it hits your lips, it's so good! (Frank the Tank).

Reservations for 2 please

Good afternoon, thanks for calling, How can I help you?
Hello- May I have dinner reservations for 2 please.
What time would you like to come in sir?
How about 5pm?
Sir we don’t start serving dinner till 6pm?
But fussy time is between 6-8pm.
Excuse me sir?
Fussy time. Do you have something on the menu for fussy time? Perhaps a chef special?
Click. Dial tone.


(30 minutes later) Welcome to Chick-Fil-A, can I take your order?
Yes you can! Spicy Chicken for Everyone!!!

The Awakening

Lines from one of our favorite movies:
Jack Campbell- HEY!!!
Kate Campbell- What????
Jack- That baby’s crying
Kate- And…
Kate- don’t give me that look Jack; you know it’s your day
Kate- and try and get the kids to school on time

Lines from Our House- The Awakening, 3am
LB- waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
LB (echoing in the baby monitor) - WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Dave- Ash….Hey Ash
Dave- I think I hear the baby crying
LB- (echoing in the baby monitor) - WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WAAAAAAAAAA!
Dave- Yes, that sounds like a baby crying
Dave- sarcastically I wonder if she is awake.
Ash- No response
Dave- I wonder if she is hungry
Dave- Or thirsty
Dave- Maybe she has a brown diaper?
Dave- or the diaper is saturated?
Dave- maybe she climbed out of the crib.
Dave- Ash!!!
Ash- Looks at the video monitor, realizes baby needs pacifier.
Ash- Give her the pacifier.
Dave- Something is wrong- you should check.
Ash- leaves the bedroom, returns 1 minute later
Dave- with one eye open, Was she awake? I thought I heard crying.

To Dave and Ashley 2013, from Dave and Ashley 2011

I sense that you are considering another family expansion. Evidently the Dad, Mom, LB and Lux sandwich needs another layer of meat. Well the sandwich of the past fully supports the hoagie of the future. But in case your memory hasn’t been as reliable due to the mesmerizing affect of cartoon and Baby Einstein overload, here are some recommendations:

1. Technology isn’t always a good thing. The baby motion sensor pad which is supposed to give you peace of mind tends to have false alarms. That sound will turn your house into the 100yd dash and right now Ashley is faster than Dave. Just something to consider.
2. Two adults, 1 LB and 1 Lux are already too much for the bed. Turn LB into a toddler while adding another baby could spell disaster. I have already heard of a California King sized bed- hopefully in 2013 there will be a Texas King. Because everything is bigger in Texas.
3. Swings, Bumbo seats, Car rides and rap music are your allies. Tummy time is challenging in the beginning but pays off later. Country music, dog barks and gas are your enemies. So choose your friends wisely.
4. If you see a bare butt, it can see you. Except you have a huge target on your head and hands. Remember the fundamentals – sometimes the best offense is a good defense. “Remember the Alamo”.
5. Look for a tag before putting the shirt on. Direction for girls clothing is not as intuitive. Yes, that was me who put LB’s shirt on backwards. But I did get the beanie right…Love that lamb!

Milestones

3 month milestones
Baby should definitely be able to laugh out loud by now. Check. More of a contagious smile with a subtle chuckle.

Your 3-month-old baby's weight has continued to rise, even if she hasn't gotten a whole lot taller. Check on both. LB has gained 5lbs and grown 5 inches.

Babies are at their chubbiest (think Michelin man). Check. These cheeks are like elevator buttons for kids. I can’t walk by without pushing them and smiling.

Your little one knows her name now. Ummm…Testing 1-2-3. Lux is responding to our high octave name calling. LB responds to anything. To her….Goochie goochie goo might be her name. Homework item #1.

During tummy time she might be able to prop herself up on her elbows and observe the world in front of her, even with no head bobbles. Check. See above.

Shots! Shots! Shots!

Normally this would be the bird call to rally up the troops, line up the glasses and put down the bourbon. But this word has taken on new form after last week.

We roll up to the Pediatricians office, all smiles for our 2 month check. Similar to the guy at the state fair who guesses your age and weight, Ashley and I make similar bets on LB’s lbs prior to hitting the scale. Not to brag, but I was within a couple ounces. What can I say; I used to measure out Roast Beef sandwiches at Arby’s between 3-5 ounces. I have the gift of gauge.

Doctor gives another positive review- loving this guy. Then he quickly passes the baby to the nurse. I captured the following dialogue:
Dave: Dr. Benbow, where are you going?
Doctor: I went to school an extra 8 years so I didn’t have to stay around for this part.
Dave: OK, send in Nurse Ratchet.
(Nurse Ratchet enters)
Dave: I hear you are equally gentle as you are fast.
Nurse (pulling out an arsenal of syringes, think Dexter pulling out his knives): I practice every day.
Dave: So you are a Jedi master? Excellent. Please use your Jedi mind trick to make LB happy as you jab her.
Nurse (obviously not a Star Wars fan): please hold her down.
LB (after 1st shot) – Hmmmmm. This doesn’t feel like my normal checkup
LB (after 2nd shot) – Something bit me on the leg
LB (after 3rd shot) – OK, I am going to scream because there is a bee in my pants
LB (after 4th shot) – Holy *&%$#! There are two bees, one on each leg.
LB (after 5th shot) – I thought Bee’s can only sting once!
The rest was history and recovery was quick…Except for the schedule changes, sporadic eating and weird nightmares. Can’t wait for the 4 month mark.